What is Dyscalculia and How is It Treated?

Performing even a simple arithmetic function is a complicated process that requires short and long-term memory, language, visual processing and the ability to translate a number on a page into a physical quantity. If a child’s brain is unable to handle any of these tasks, he or she will struggle to do math. This inability, at the clinical level, is called dyscalculia.

What Are the Symptoms of Dyscalculia?

Dyscalculia is not merely being bad at math. It is a neurological condition, a learning disability, that prevents individuals from processing simple math questions that are part of everyday life. Individuals with dyscalculia may have difficulty:

- reading and calculating time,
- counting money and making change,
- estimating or understanding distances,
- remembering phone numbers and zip codes,
- solving simple word problems that require remembering numbers,
- and even counting backwards.

They often struggle with simple concepts, like the communitive law of addition in which 2+3 = 3+2, or like how the value of a number is changed by the movement of a decimal point. Rather than being merely bad at math the way many Americans are, individuals with dyscalculia are dysfunctional with numbers. It can be a debilitating condition. Dyscalculia afflicts roughly 3%-7% of the population and is usually discovered early in elementary school, when children begin learning basic math. No one knows what causes it, though genetics, fetal exposure to alcohol and brain trauma all seem to have some connection. Children afflicted with dyscalculia often suffer from the physical manifestations of their struggle – anxiety, agitation, panic, even nausea and vomiting.

What Should I Do If My Child Has Dyscalculia?

If you believe your child has dyscalculia, have a doctor to determine if a vision or hearing impairment that might affect their ability to learn. Once those causes are ruled out, make an appointment to see a learning specialist at their school. They'll talk with you and your child and test their math abilities to help determine if they have it. Getting a diagnosis opens the door for accommodations at school, which is required by law to provide evaluations and treatment plans for students who are struggling.

The good and bad news for children with dyscalculia is the same as it is for children with dyslexia and dysgraphia: it is a lifelong condition that has no “cure.” It can be managed with specialized education. Depending on the severity of the condition, children can get help from their school, a tutor, or a school that specializes in educating neurodivergent children. Dyscalculia occurs co-morbidly with other neurodivergent conditions – ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia and autism. Those with dyscalculia have a higher risk of certain mental health disorders, like anxiety, depression, bipolar, and behavioral issues.

Teaching Students with Dyscalculia

As with the related learning disabilities named above, dyscalculia is most manageable when treatment is initiated early. The gold standard for treatment of dyscalculia is a structured approach like the Orton-Gillingham method, the same method demonstrating success with dyslexic and dysgraphic children. Orton-Gillingham is an empirically proven approach, customized to the needs of each child, that breaks down the math process and moves children sequentially from the easiest tasks to the most difficult, adding skills iteratively, delivering information in a multi-sensory way and employing best practices in math principles. Core elements of mathematical problems are broken down. If you suspect your child has dysgraphia, have them tested and become their advocate. Though a lifelong condition, it can be managed and overcome with expert intervention applied over time.

Trident Academy in Mt. Pleasant, SC serves students with learning disabilities,
employing teachers certified in Orton-Gillingham. Most of their students learn to read, write and do math at grade level or beyond and “graduate” back into their school districts, earning their high school diplomas from ordinary high schools alongside their friends and neighbors.

Summary: Dyscalculia is a manageable, lifelong condition that affects the ability to
understand simple arithmetic concepts.